Track shoe



Nov. 16, 1943. L. B. HOPKINS TRACK SHOE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25,1941 Leslie E 3% W g MM -Hmpki'TLE Nov. 16, 1943.

L. B. HOPKINS 2,334,196

TRACK SHOE Filed July 25,1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LE51iE E1- Hap-M115Patented Nov. -16, 1943 TRACK SHOE Leslie B. Hopkins, United StatesArmy, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Application July 25, 1941, Serial No. 404,025

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) Claims.

The invention described herein may be manu factured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment tome ofany royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a track shoe for track laying vehicles.

An object of my invention is to provide a track shoe having detachablecleats or grousers."

Another object of my invention is to provide a rubber faced track shoewith means to incorporate thereon a metal cleat or "grouser so that withthe cleat or grouser" in place there is only a metal to metal contactbetween the grouser" and the track.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved cleat orgrouser in which the weight of the tank is not entirely carried on ablade-like portion of the cleat or grouser.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my cleat or grouserfif Fig. 2 is a side view ofmy cleat or "grouser.

Fig. 3 is an end view of my cleat or grouser.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the track shoe.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the track shoe and discloses a sectional viewtaken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantiallyon line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 discloses the cleat or grouser attached to the track shoe anddiscloses a sectional view through the track shoe.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 disclose plan, end and side views of the end plateswhich hold the tubes of the shoe frame in spaced relationship Referringto the drawings the metal frame of the track shoe consists of two endplates l0, and two tubular members I I. The ends of the tubular membersare brazed in the holes in the end plates or else the tubular membersand end plates may be formed in one casting operation if so desired. Theend plates ill have a thickened portion I2 which serves as a wallthickness for tapped holes iii in the end plates. The exposed portionsof the tubular members it and portions of the end plates ill haveelastic material such as rubber M bonded thereto preferably byvulcanization. The elastic material It extends between the tubes and isadapted to abut the wheels of the track laying vehicle as well as theground when the cleat or grouser to be described later, is not attachedto the shoe frame.

The tubular members H are adapted to receive link pins and elasticbushings as is well understood in the art; a plurality of track shoesmay thus be Joined to form a complete track in a manner shown, forinstance, in the Knox Patent 2,129,696.

One cleat or grouser 20 is to be attached to each track shoe by bolts llwhich pass through holes 22 in the "grouser 20 through washer 24 andwhich are screwed in the tapped holes IS in the end pieces l0.

Each "grouser" has projections 25 which are adapted to abut the endplates l0 and space the upper fiat surface 26 or the "grouser" fromcontact with the ground side 01 rubber portion l4 so that there is onlya metal to metal contact between the grouser and track shoe.

The walls which form open hollow portions 21 encase the heads 28 ofbolts 2| so as to protect them from wear and abuse. The projecting endsof-the walls which form hollow portions 21 have a hard alloy surfacing29 to prevent excessive wear. A blade-like portion 30 extends betweenthe walls which form open hollow portions 27 and is formed integraltherewith as well as with the fiat solid portion Ml. Ribs 3| disposedbetween the blade-like portion 30 and solid portions 4|] of the grouserserve to strengthen the bladelike portion. The outside edge 32 of thebladelike portion 30 has a hard alloy surfacing to pre vent excessivewear.

It is noted that the stress due to the weight of the tank is notentirely transmitted through blade-like portion 30 but some 0! it istransmitted through the walls which form the open hollow portions 21.Thus, the walls of open hollow por= tions Zlserve multiple functions,namely; they protect tilt bolt heads It: the? support some as the weightof the tank; they provide some midi-- tional cleat or grouser" action.Also, those walls have substantially an elliptical cross section withthe major axis of the ellipse extending between the tubular members IIand the minor axis in line with the blade-like portion 30. It isdesirable to have the major axis extend a large distance betweenthetubular members II so that the grouser" might, be held more firmly tothe end plates I0 when the grouser" is subjected to impact; it isdesirable to have the minor axis of the ellipse extend a short distancefor then the maximum length of the blade-like portion it might berealized.

members, end pieces I claim:

1. In a track shoe, a pair of spaced tubular tubular members, elasticmaterial having a ground engaging surface bonded to and disposed betweenthe tubular members, a cleat extending between the end pieces, means forfastening the cleat to the end pieces, and means for spacing the cleatfrom the ground engaging surface of the elastic materia 2. A pair ofspaced tubular members, end pieces having an enlarged portion with atapped hole and joining opposite ends of the tubular memhers, elasticmaterial having a ground engaging surface bonded to and disposed betweenthe tubular members, a cleat extending pieces having at each of its endsa recess and a through opening in adjoining relation thereto, a

bolt for the tapped hole passing through the through opening and havingits head in the recess, and means for spacing the cleat from the groundengaging surface.

between the end joining opposite ends of the -3.\The same as tionedmeans comprises a projection on each end of the cleat.

4. A cleat for a track shoe comprising a bladelike central verticalspan, both ends of said span being of increased area with respect tothat of said span in the horizontal plane, end portions extendingsubstantially to .the bottom of the blade and provided with downwardlyopening counterbored recesses and upward extensions having throughopenings communicating with said recesses, and headed fastening deviceshaving heads in said recesses and portions passing through saidopenings, said fastening devices heads only partially filling saidrecesses.

5. A cleat as in claim 4 wherein said end portions and said recesseshave dimensions in a direction transverse to the central span in excessof their dimensions parallel to the line of said span.

LESLIE B. HOPKINS.

in claim 2 and the last men-

